Nikki's Adventures In Ikebukuro
by BansheeFromHell
Summary: After falling through a rogue portal, Nikki finds herself in Ikebukuro, and as she looks for a way home, she inadvertently gets caught up in the chaos that occurs in the city on a daily basis. And she thought things were insane back home…
1. Arrival

**Banshee: Hello. I have decided to make this fic into a full-fledged story~! Whoo~! I hope you enjoy it. :)**

**Disclaimer: I only own my OC and the plot.**

* * *

><p>Chapter One: Arrival<p>

* * *

><p>I let out a loud "Ouch!" when I landed flat on my back after falling through - yet another - random portal that appeared out of nowhere.<p>

As I laid there on my back with my eyes closed, waiting for the pain to go away before I got up, something - or somebody - came into my line of vision, blocking the light. I opened my eyes and saw a very concerned looking boy with short black hair and a blue uniform.

"Hey, are you okay?" He asked. "That looked like it hurt."

"Yeah, no shit, Sherlock." I grunted as I sat up. "Anyway, I'm fine. This isn't the first time this has happened."

"Are you sure you're okay?" He insisted. "You sure you don't need to go to a hospital?"

"I said I'm fine." I growled. "Where the hell am I, anyway?"

"Ikebukuro."

"Ikebukuro?" I repeated. "What is that, some kind of Japanese topping?"

"No, it's a district in Tokyo."

"Tokyo, eh? That explains the flashing lights… Well, I really should be going. Thanks for the help, mister…"

"Mikado Ryugamine." He introduced himself.

"Sounds like the name of a manga character…"

Mikado shrugged. "I know.. I get that a lot…"

"I'm Nikki. Anyway, thanks Mikado."

I moved to walk away, but he stopped me.

"Oh! You're not from around here, so it's only fair to warn you… there are some really crazy people in this town. Try and be careful, okay?"

"I'll keep that in mind." I said.

I patted my jacket, which had one of my electrified batons stashed inside, assuring Mikado that I could handle myself. He smiled and nodded, and I smiled back before turning around and walking away.

…

- An Hour Later -

…

I looked at my watch, but it wouldn't be of any use because I was in Japan now, so the time was different. After finding a Japanese clock, I found the right time; eleven in the morning.

"Okay… Where to begin?"

I stopped when I felt my stomach grumble, and decided that getting food was the best idea. As I was looking for a place to find some food, I came across a tall black man in a karate outfit standing in front of a sushi restaurant handing out fliers for said restaurant. He had a deep Russian accent, and he looked intimidating, but he seemed very friendly when I talked to him.

Normally, I don't eat fish very often (because of my shellfish allergy), especially raw fish, but, since I was able to deduce that I was in Japan (duh, it was pretty damn obvious), I decided to indulge in their native food and get some sushi.

After a few minutes, I walked out with a box filled with the Russian sushi, and I was glad that they accepted American money. It was cheaper in dollars, anyway.

I sat down on a bench, and opened the box, trying my best to grab the pieces of fish with the chopsticks without getting angry. Normally chopsticks irritate me, but today I was able to put up with it. I didn't want people staring at me because I was cussing at my utensils.

"Hey, this stuff is pretty good." I mused as I ate my first piece, picking up another and eating it as well.

Suddenly, people started running around the corner, screaming at the top of their lungs and looking for cover.

"Run! It's Shizuo Heiwajima!" Someone shouted.

"What was that about?" I said to myself with a raised eyebrow.

I just shrugged and continued eating my sushi.

Then I heard a crash as a vending machine came flying around the corner, skidding across the pavement and smashing into the side of a building.

"What the-? Was that a vending machine?"

"IIIIZZAAAAYYAAA!"

I could barely keep track of what happened next. A man with black hair and a coat with a fluffy hood ran around the corner and came running past me as a blonde man dressed as a bartender chased after him brandishing a very heavy looking pole. The black-haired man was laughing, as if this was a fun little game, as the man chasing him was the scary kind of angry; the kind of angry that screamed "I'm-going-to-[BLEEP]ing-kill-you!" As he ran past me he moved to swing the pole, the tip of the stop sign attached to it knocking the tray of sushi from my hands. The sushi tray flipped over and fell to the ground, the sushi spilling everywhere.

"Hey! My sushi!" I exclaimed.

Of course I knew that my head could have been lopped off, but I was too pissed off to care. The Russian sushi may have been cheap, but it was pretty damn good! And it just got wasted!

"What the hell, man?"

I doubt the guy could hear me because he looked so angry that he couldn't hear anything except his own aggravated yelling, which consisted of "You damn flea!" and "How many times do I have to tell you to _STAY OUT OF IKEBUKURO_!" and, of course, "IIIZZAAAYYYAAAA!"

"Are you all right, Miss?" Someone asked.

"I'm fine, but that pole-swinging jackass ruined my sushi!" I shouted, pointing at the bartender, who was still chasing after the so-called 'flea.'

"You mean Shizuo?"

I blinked. "Who?"

"You don't know who Shizuo Heiwajima is?"

"Who the hell is Shizuo Heiwajima?" I asked.

"Only the strongest man in Ikebukuro!" A boy exclaimed fearfully.

"And the guy he was chasing?" I inquired.

"That's Izaya Orihara. Those two have been going at it for years. They're very dangerous. I'd stay away from them if I were you." A man warned.

"I don't care how dangerous they are! That Shizuo owes me a new pack of sushi!"

…

- Later -

…

I bought some tuna to try to ease my anger, but I was still pissed about my ruined sushi, and there was nothing that could calm me down; except maybe kicking someone's ass. But the asses I liked to kick were back home, so I was waiting for some idiot to pick a fight with me so I'd have an excuse to kick _their_ ass.

Soon enough, my wish came true.

Some dudes tried harassing me. They tried to pick me up, and when that didn't work, they started flinging insults at me like kindergarteners flinging mud. Some of them were wearing yellow scarves. They were obviously gang members, and my dad always told me to stay away from those people, but they were idiots and they made the mistake of pissing me off. So I kicked their asses. They were in groups of four, and even though my limit is normally three, my rage allowed me to take down all four easily every time. Whoever recruited these guys certainly didn't let them into these groups based on their fighting skills.

I continued on my way, and some goons claiming to be part of a gang called 'The Dollars' surrounded me in an alley. There were about ten of them; more than my limit of three. They reminded me of the gang members I would find back at home, who wanted to sound cool by talking like rappers. It didn't work with them, and it certainly didn't work with these losers.

"You just stepped onto our turf, bitch!" One of them said, and my brow twitched at the word 'bitch.' "There's a toll for anyone who gets caught in our territory!"

"What did you just call me?" I seethed.

"A bitch." He repeated the insulting word. "Why? Whatcha gonna do about it, _bitch_?"

His fellow gang members snickered as I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Would you like to find out?"

"Come on, let's see what you got,_ bitch_."

I reached into my jacket and pulled out one of the two batons I had on my person, pressing a little button on the handle as the steel rod was flickering with electricity. One of the Dollars lunged at me with a stick, but my steel baton broke it in half and he was on the ground after the baton electrocuted him.

He would be fine, of course. My batons have the same level of electricity as a tazer.

Another ran towards me with a metal bat; big mistake. As soon as the bat made contact with my baton, he was filled with several volts of electricity. He dropped to the ground as well.

One by one, they fell, and because of the amount of volts in my baton, they weren't waking up for a while. When I was down to the last one, the one that called me a 'bitch,' I electrocuted him just enough to weaken him, and grabbed him by his collar, lifting him partially off the ground.

"Don't _**ever**_" I seethed. "call me a 'bitch,' _bitch.._."

He was out cold after I punched him in the face.

I felt better, but the good feeling soon faded as I heard some clapping behind me.

"Oh, my, that was impressive~!"

I turned around, my arm raised threateningly, and I saw the same man that Shizuo was chasing earlier that day. Since he wasn't being chased, I could get a good look at him. He wore a coat with a furry hood and there was fur on the ends of the sleeves as well. There was also fur on the hem of the coat. Underneath that coat was a black shirt and pants. His hair was messy and black, and his eyes, if I wasn't mistaken, looked red.

I recognized him as who the people in the city called Izaya Orihara, one of the most dangerous men in Ikebukuro; the most dangerous being Shizuo Heiwajima, the man that can throw vending machines like baseballs.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am-"

I cut him off. "Izaya Orihara."

"Right~!" He chirped. "You know who I am. I am so flattered~."

"Yeah, I'm sure you are.." I said sarcastically. I looked between the gang members and him, finding it too convenient that he showed up right after they attacked me; like he was watching me the whole time, and didn't just stumble upon the scene. He didn't seem like the type to do that. "Were you the one who sent these idiots after me?"

"Me?" He pointed to himself, faking an innocent look. "Oh, no, I wouldn't do that. I'm hurt that you would accuse me of such a thing."

"Hey, is that fatty tuna?" Izaya asked, pointing at the pack in my hands with interest.

"So what if it is?"

"You wouldn't, by any chance, be willing to part with it, would you?"

"Hell no." I growled.

"If you give me your fatty tuna, I'll tell you where you can find Shizu-chan.."

I raised an eyebrow. "'Shizu-chan?' You mean Shizuo Heiwajima?"

He nodded. "That's right. If I remember correctly, he owes you a new pack of sushi.."

"You're damn right he does. And you know where he is?"

"I know a lot of things…"

"Wait.." I said with a tone that said 'I don't trust you.' "How do I know you're not just trying to con me out of my tuna?"

"Would I lie to you?"

"Yes. You would." I deadpanned.

"Ouch…" He said in mock hurt.

I sighed. I couldn't deny that he might know something. From what I heard, he _was_ an informant, and what better person to get information from than an informant?

"… Fine." I reluctantly agreed. "Where can I find him?"

"Well, for starters, he works as a bodyguard for a debt collector named Tom Tanaka. Wherever you find him, Shizu-chan won't be far behind. He also frequents the Russian sushi shop quite often." He said. He added with a smirk, "Watch out, though… he has a short temper~.."

"Yeah, I noticed that when he was chasing you down the road swinging a street sign around…"

"Fatty tuna~?"

"All right, fine." I growled, handing him the pack. "Damn flea.."

"That's what Shizu-chan says~."

"Yeah, I can see why.."

…

- 4:00 PM -

…

It took me all afternoon, but there was no sign of the blonde, bartender-suit-wearing bodyguard. I tried tracking him down by looking for anything that was destroyed recently, but that plan led me nowhere. It just put me back where I started, and soon I got so fed up that I just gave up and decided to try a new plan; just sit there and wait for him to come along.

I got hungry again, but I had spent the last of my money on the tuna, and I ended up giving it to that bastard Izaya before I had a chance to eat any of it.

"I must have looked all over the damn city for this guy…" I grumbled as I sat on the curb in front of the Russian sushi restaurant. "How hard is it to find a bodyguard in a bartender suit?"

"_Not to mention a guy that everybody's afraid of…"_

I froze when I heard the Russian man, whose name I learned was 'Simon,' greet enthusiastically, "Ah, Shizuo~! So nice to see you!"

"Hey Simon." Shizuo greeted back. He sounded tired.

"Have you come for some sushi?" Simon asked.

The blonde nodded, and Simon stepped aside so he could step inside. I followed after him, and walked in as he was taking his seat. I walked up to him and cleared my throat before saying, "Shizuo Heiwajima?"

"Yeah?" He said with an irritated tone.

"You don't know me, but I was there when you were chasing that Izaya guy around. I was eating sushi, and when you went to swing the pole, you knocked the tray out of my hands. So, in all fairness, I believe you owe me some new sushi."

He gave me a glare before turning away. "Forget it."

"What?" I exclaimed. "Listen here, Blondie, I've been going through a lot of crap today! I've been harassed by guys in stupid handkerchiefs, some idiots claiming to be 'The Dollars' tried to jump me, and I gave up my newly-purchased tuna to try and find you! The least you can do is buy me one measly little pack of sushi!"

"Can't you just buy another one yourself?" He asked.

"I spent the last of my money on the tuna…" I said, sulking a little.

Shizuo sighed. His demeanor seemed to soften a bit, and I knew he felt sorry for me. "All right… I guess I can do that for you."

"Thanks. You're a saint." I said gratefully, and he got me some sushi. I sat down next to him and ate, and he had his own sushi.

"Ever since I gave my tuna to that stupid flea, I've been so _hungry_, but I haven't been able to get any food because I didn't have any money after that…"

"Flea?" He crushed the chopsticks he had in his hand at the mention of Izaya. "You mean Izaya? _Izaya Orihara_?"

"Yes, I mean Izaya. I asked him where I could find you." When he gave me a look, I put my hands up. "Hey, it seemed like a good idea at the time, okay? Since he's an informant, he'd know almost everything about everybody, so he seemed like the best person to ask. Besides, it's not like I was looking for him. I ran into him on accident, after I beat up those idiots that tried to jump me."

"So you're not involved with him?"

"Hell no." I said. "He annoys me. Plus, he cost me my tuna."

"You're not from around here, are you, kid?" He asked.

"Don't call me that.." I growled. "And no, I'm not."

"Do you have anywhere to stay?"

"If I did, you think I'd be wandering around?"

"I know a place where you can stay. The guy that lives there is a friend of mine, and he's nice guy; even though he can be a bit annoying. You can stay at his place."

"Really? You'd do that?" I asked. "But I'm a stranger, you don't even know me."

"Stranger or not, you're just a kid-"

My eyebrow twitched at the word 'kid.'

"-and my conscience won't allow me to let a kid-"

My eyebrow twitched again.

"-like you walk around Ikebukuro alone. It can get pretty dangerous around here."

"Yeah, I noticed.." I said, recalling when the members of Ikebukuro's gangs were coming after me.

…

- At Shinra's -

…

"Oi! Shinra!" Shizuo called as soon as we reached his friend's place.

A young man poked his head out from around the corner. He had dark hair, and a large pair of glasses that magnified his big, adorable eyes. He also wore a long white coat, a coat typically worn by a doctor, and I figured that he must have been a doctor of sorts; I didn't know what kind, though.

"Oh, Shizuo!" He exclaimed with a smile. "What brings you here?"

"I have a favor to ask you."

"And what's that?" Shinra asked.

Shizuo pointed to me. "This is Nikki. She's a… well… let's just say she's a friend of mine. She's just a kid, and she doesn't have any money and has no place to go. Do you think you can let her stay here for a while?"

Shinra cocked his head to the side. "Can't she stay with you?"

"That wouldn't be a good idea.."

"I guess you're right. It's not good for a child to be exposed to that kind of negativity-" He was cut off when the blonde grabbed his arm painfully. "Ow! Ow! _Oww_~! I'm sorry~! Let go! Let g-Ow! Sh-Shizuo! Shizuo, my arm's not supposed to bend that way!"

Shizuo released him.

"I don't see why not." He said, rubbing his sore arm.

"Good. I have to be at work early tomorrow." He turned around and walked away.

"Bye Shizuo~!" Shinra called after him, waving.

Shizuo responded with a lazy wave as he walked out the door. Not long after he left, we heard the door open again.

"Oh! Celty's home!" Shinra said excitedly.

The figure that walked in was obviously woman, because her feminine curves were blatantly visible since she was wearing a bodysuit. It looked like it was made of leather, and she wore gloves, and boots. On her head was a yellow helmet that kind of reminded me of a cat's head.

As soon as 'Celty' saw me, she took out a PDA and typed on it, showing the message to Shinra. The message obviously asked who I was, so Shinra introduced me to her. "This is Nikki. She's a friend of Shizuo's. She's going to be staying here for a while."

She turned to me and typed some more, and held the PDA up to me so I could read what she typed.

"Um.. Sorry, I can't read Japanese…" I apologized after looking at the message. "Can you translate, Shinra?"

"She said it's nice to meet you." He said.

"It's nice to meet you too… Celty, is it?"

Celty nodded.

"Is she a mute, or something?" I asked.

"It's hard to explain, really.. You probably wouldn't believe it."

"Try me."

"I could give you the full explanation, but obviously you're not from around here, and I don't want to overwhelm you so I'll give you the short version: She communicates with a PDA because she can't talk because she doesn't have a head."

"Oh, come on. You really expect me to believe that?" My eyes widened when Celty took off her helmet, and, lo and behold, there was no head. "Okay.. You convinced me.."

…

- 12:30 AM -

…

I tried getting to sleep that night, but I couldn't. Slipping out of the room they had me staying in, I snuck into the living room, and decided that maybe some TV could help me get to sleep. I jumped when I saw a glowing screen get pushed into my face as I reached for the remote. I turned on the light and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Celty. She wasn't wearing her helmet, and some sort of dark smoke was emanating from her neck.

Any normal person would have freaked out at the sight of a headless woman, but it didn't faze me one bit. I had seen weirder things, and besides, it was kind of cool.

"Oh, it's you Celty.." I breathed. I looked at the PDA screen, scratching my head at the Japanese characters. "Sorry, but I don't understand what you're typing. Do you know any English?"

She started typing on the PDA again and showed it to me, but this time her inquiry was in English.

[What are you still doing up?]

"Oh. I can't sleep."

[Is something wrong?]

"I'm just trying to figure out how I can get the hell out of here and go back home."

[How did you get here?]

"I fell through a random portal. That seems to happen a lot.. The only problem is, once I get through, I'm stuck in some random world until someone with the power to create portals shows up. I can't do it; not very well, anyway…"

[Have you tried?] She asked.

I shrugged. "I lost track of how many times I tried to make portals today; and every single one of them failed."

[Maybe you should practice more.]

It's hard to determine someone's tone by reading a message, but if I could make a guess, she just deadpanned me.

"I'll try." I said. Then I changed the subject and asked, "What's Shizuo's story, anyway? How is he able to rip a road sign out of the ground and throw vending machines?"

[It's a long story.] She said. [Shinra will be able to explain it better than I can.]

"And his history with Izaya?"

[They've been trying to kill each other from the moment they met.]

"Well, at least that explains what happened this afternoon.."

[You should get some sleep.] She reminded me.

"You're right. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

[Good night, Nikki.]

"Night, Celty."

…

- 3:00 AM -

- Normal POV -

…

In a dark secluded alley, away from prying eyes, a black puddle formed on the wall of a building. It started off small, and small amounts of purple and blue swirled within the black void as it grew. A pair of large yellow eyes appeared, and a black creature forced its way out of the void. Its black limbs faded to silver at the points where they joined the torso, its shadow-like body the size of a small dog. Black antennae twitched as it put its nose to the ground, and it breathed in the city's smog as it weeded out the undesirable scents to zero in on one in particular.

As the creature sniffed, several larger black voids appeared, and strange silver creatures stepped out of them. These new creatures were tall and thin, with strange symbols on their cylindrical heads. Black lines outlined the sides of their bodies, extending all the way down to their pointed feet, with two black bands around their pointed, fingerless hands. Their mouths were bound by zippers.

After a couple minutes of sniffing, it found the scent it was looking for. The black creature suddenly sank into the ground and hopped from one shadow to the next as it followed the scent, and the silver creatures separated into groups, and scattered themselves throughout the city.

"_We will find you, Superior One…"_

…

…


	2. Big Brother

**Banshee: Here's chapter 2~! I know there is a lack of the 'Kingdom Hearts' element right now, but it's all part of the plan. They WILL get more involved after chapter 3. Just thought I'd clear that up.**

**Disclaimer: I only own my OC and the plot.**

* * *

><p>Chapter Two: Big Brother<p>

* * *

><p>…<p>

- 9:30 AM -

…

As I laid there in the bed, I had the strange feeling that I was being watched. I opened my eyes and yelped when I saw Izaya sitting by the bed with a smirk on his face.

"What the-? _Izaya_?" I exclaimed.

"Hello~." He greeted.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Shinra's a friend of mine. I visit every now and then."

"Oh joy…" I said unenthusiastically with a flat expression.

Suddenly, Shinra appeared in the doorway.

"Morning Nikki~!" Shinra chirped. "Oh, I see you've met Izaya-kun."

"Actually, I met her yesterday." Said Izaya. "She wanted to know where Shizu-chan was 'cuz he ruined her sushi when he was chasing me and she wanted him to get her some more."

"Yeah, and that information cost me my tuna.."

He smirked. "And it was delicious~."

"Bastard." I growled.

…

- Two Hours Later -

…

"Oh, Shizuo!" Shinra greeted as Shizuo walked through the door, carrying something in his hands. Next to him was a man with darker skin, glasses, and brown hair. "And Tom. So nice of you to drop by."

"I have something for Nikki. Where is she?" The blonde asked.

"Oh, she's in the living room with-"

Shizuo froze when he saw Izaya sitting next to me on the couch.

"_Izaya_?"

"Oh no…" Shinra sighed.

Shizuo grabbed the door and ripped it off its hinges, holding it above his head in a threatening manner as he approached Izaya.

"You're _DEAD_, Izaya!"

Celty stepped between them, trying to calm Shizuo down as he tried to move around her so he could pummel the flea, who was sitting there with a mocking smirk on his face. Tom stood there and sighed, because, apparently, he was used to this behavior.

"Oh no~!" Said Izaya in mock-fear. "Mean old Shizu-chan is going to get me~! Hide me, Nikki-chan~!"

"Get away from her, you damn flea!"

"Ooh, so scary~!"

"Get off me, Izaya!" I yelled as I moved to punch him in the face, an action that he easily dodged as he smirked at my - and Shizuo's - frustration.

"Damn flea!"

Shizuo and I froze when we realized that we said that at the exact same time.

"Are we related?" I asked.

"Maybe." Said Shizuo.

"She can't be related to you, Shizu-chan." Izaya chimed in. "She's too cute."

"Shut up!"

After about a half hour, we managed to talk Shizuo into putting the door down and not killing Izaya… at least for the moment.

I got Shizuo to forget about his hostility towards Orihara by asking him about his morning. He talked about how he pummeled a few people because they were obnoxious, and as he talked, Izaya was able to sneak away without the blonde noticing.

"Are you going to give your girlfriend her present, or are you going to sit there and talk?" Tom asked teasingly, making Shizuo flinch.

"She's not my girlfriend!" He shouted. "I'm just trying to be nice by getting her some sushi! She's too young for me, anyway."

"I don't know if I should feel complimented by that last part, or uncomfortable.." I said to myself.

"Wait.." Shizuo said after he noticed Izaya was gone. "Where the hell'd that damn flea go?"

"Just forget about him for now, Shizuo." Tom said, patting him on the shoulder. "Now give your girlfriend her sushi so we can get out of here. We still have some more business to take care of."

"For the last time, she is not my girlfriend!"

Tom laughed as he walked out, and Shizuo stood there growling as his face turned red; from embarrassment or anger, I have no idea. He handed me the box and mumbled something that sounded like "Here's your damn sushi" under his breath before he left too.

"He got you sushi? How sweet~!" Shinra mused. "I think he likes you~."

Celty smacked him in the back of the head. Then she hit him again the torso; and again; and again; and again; and again until she saw fit to stop, which was after like, what, five or six times?

"Oww…" He whined. "I was only kidding, Celty.."

[Don't tease her like that.] She scolded.

"It's okay, Celty." I said. "I got a lot of that from people back home too. I'm used to it by now."

…

- Later -

…

After about twenty minutes, I decided to go wander around Ikebukuro. As funny as Shinra and Celty's interactions were, I was curious about the city, and plus, I wanted to find a place where I could try and make portals without being noticed. In all fairness, I could have practiced at Shinra's but he'd be too interested in it.

I munched on the sushi Shizuo gave me as I walked down the street, and I froze when I felt a cold breeze on my back. When I turned around, there was nobody there.

"The hell?"

I shrugged, and reached for a piece of tuna, but another set of fingers - that weren't mine - grabbed the piece before I could. The fingers belonged to, none other than, Izaya Orihara.

"Izaya…" I growled. "Give me my tuna back."

He pretended to think about it, and chirped, "Nope." before popping the tuna in his mouth.

"Don't you have anything better to do; something that _doesn't_ involve irritating me?"

"But I love irritating you."

"Why?"

"Because I love you, of course." Izaya said, and I blushed automatically. I was already irritated, but I was even more irritated when he continued, "I love all humans."

"Ugh.." I pushed past him. "Go away flea, before I smash you."

"You know, you're pretty cute." He said. "But you talk like Shizu-chan, and that makes you less cute."

"Piss off." I growled, throwing a piece of sushi at him, and he easily dodged it with that same cocky smirk.

"Minus two cute points."

"[BLEEP] you!"

"Such language!" Izaya scolded. "Better make that three."

"IZAYA!"

As Izaya laughed at my exclamation and skipped away, I threw multiple obscenities at his back and flipped him the bird.

If I could pick up a road sign and use it to turn Izaya into a human baseball, I would have.

But I couldn't do that, so I settled with cussing him out until I got tired of it and left to find a suitable spot in which to make portals. Eventually, I found a spot; a run-down warehouse. There were barely any people in that area, so it was the perfect place to practice.

I tried for over an hour to make a portal that worked. So far, no such luck.

Like every other time I tried to make a portal, every single one I tried to make today shriveled up like a grape in the sun and evaporated almost as soon as I made them. I came close to having one be successful, and decided to test it. I threw an apple into the portal, and there was a "Poomf!" sound and some apple-colored mist spewed out. Well, there goes my apple…

I tried again and got another near-perfect portal, but it shriveled up and disappeared.

"Ah, damn it.." I cursed. "I was so close that time…"

"There she is!"

"Huh?"

The same guys whose asses I kicked before were back, and they brought plenty of backup. The guys I beat up had bumps and bruises, and one of them had frizzy hair. The group leader had a black eye; the guy that called me a-

"No little bitch messes with the Dollars!"

My eye twitched when he said 'bitch.'

Just then, more gang members arrived. They filed in from the door on the other side of the warehouse. All of them wore yellow scarves, or some article of clothing that was dyed yellow.

"There! That's the girl!" One of them shouted.

"We'll teach you to mess with the Yellow Scarves!" Another yelled.

"Oh great…" I groaned. I observed the amount of men on each side. "You really need all this manpower to take on one little girl? Man, you guys are a bunch of pathetic losers.."

"Shut up, bitch!" The guy with the black eye shouted. "We're gonna teach you a lesson!"

"Teach away, Professor Numbnuts."

One of the Dollars lunged at me, and I twirled to avoid him, letting out a little "Whoops~!" and taking out one of my batons and striking him in the back of the head. Another came up with a metal rod, and I pressed a little button on the baton, and when the rod made contact with the baton, he spazzed out as he was shocked into submission. One of the Yellow Scarves tried to sneak up on me with a wooden pole, but I saw his shadow and kicked his legs out from underneath him and he fell, getting knocked unconscious by his own weapon when it came back down and smacked him in the head. I took out three more thugs, and turned to their leaders.

"Is that the best you got?" I taunted.

"Little bitch!" One of them growled.

"Whoo~!" I whistled when I twirled to avoid another lunge. "Felt a little breeze on that one~!"

When another tried to cut me with a knife, I stepped to the side to avoid his charge and elbowed him in the back when he stumbled past me.

"Come _on_ guys, you're not even trying~!"

Once came at me with a bat, but I grabbed it and kneed him in the groin.

"You are all _pathetic_! It's like I'm fighting a bunch of kinder-"

My ears were ringing as I felt a stinging pain in the back of my head, and I fell to the ground. I looked up and saw one of the Yellow Scarves, grinning as he held the object that hit me; a wooden board.

"Crap.." I grunted. "A come-from-behind hit? What a cheap shot.."

"In street fights, anything goes, sweetheart." The leader of the Yellow Scarves group said smugly, and kicked me three times in the stomach after finishing his sentence.

I coughed and gagged, and let out a cry of pain when another came along and kicked me in the back.

"Time for your lesson, girly girl.."

My eyes widened when he reached for me, and I knew what was going to happen next; and I was powerless to stop it because of the pain I was already feeling.

"Hold on a minute!" One of the Dollars shouted. "How come you get first dibs?"

"She attacked us first. So shut up and wait your turn, fool!"

I closed my eyes and waited for the impending torture, but it never came. Instead, I heard a cry of pain and the sound of metal hitting stone. Opening my eyes, I looked up and saw - none other than - Shizuo, who was brandishing a light post.

"Sh-_Shizuo_?" I exclaimed.

"When I see a bunch of nimrods picking on a little girl…" He growled, preparing to swing the post. "it really PISSES ME OFF!"

He swung the post, knocking out several guys in one swing. One of the guys behind him came up with a knife and sliced him in the arm, but he didn't notice it. Shizuo noticed him though, out of the corner of his eye, and took another swing, taking that one out as well. He took out a few more thugs before they seemed to remember who he was.

"Crap! It's Heiwajima!" One of the Yellow Scarves exclaimed fearfully.

"Let's get out of here!"

They all turned tail and ran, and Shizuo threw the post aside. He helped me up, and it took me a few minutes to get my bearings back.

"What the hell are you doing out here?" He demanded. "Why aren't you at Shinra's?"

"I needed to get out, okay?" I said. "There was something I needed to do, and I couldn't do it there 'cuz he'd be too interested in it."

"And what did you need to do that was so important?"

"I was trying to make a portal so I could go home." I explained. "So far, I haven't had any luck.."

"I'm not even going to ask…"

"Hey, your arm.." I said, after remembering that he got cut, and that his arm was bleeding.

"Huh." He said, looking at the cut. "One of those bastards must have cut me when I wasn't looking."

"Doesn't that hurt?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Nah. I have a very high tolerance for pain. When that punk cut me, I couldn't even feel it."

"You should patch that up before it gets any worse."

"I guess so." He agreed. Then he muttered, "Maybe some superglue will do it…"

My eyebrow arched at the mention of the superglue. "What? You can't use superglue on that!"

"Why not?"

"It's common sense, Shizuo."

He growled. "Alright fine. Since you know so damn much about first aid, then _you_ can take care of it."

I crossed my arms. "Fine. I will."

We walked to the nearest store, and I went in and bought a first-aid kit. After I bought the kit, I took him to a nearby bench, where I had him roll up his sleeve so I could clean up the wound and wrap it up in gauze. I cleaned up the blood and applied peroxide, and he didn't even flinch when I put it on the cut. Any normal person would have complained. I would have expected him to at least say "Damn it, that stings!"

Nope. I got nothing out of him. He really wasn't kidding when he said he had a high tolerance for pain.

"Thanks for helping me back there." I thanked him as I wrapped the bandage around his arm. "I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't shown up."

He shrugged again. "It's no problem."

"There. That should do it." I said after tying the bandage, securing it. "Try to take it easy, okay?"

"Why?"

"I don't want to see you get hurt, that's all."

"Why are you so concerned about my wellbeing?" He asked.

"Why are you so concerned about mine?" I shot back.

"Touché."

"You didn't answer my question."

"You answer first."

"Okay. I'm concerned because I like you."

He blinked. "… What?"

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Normally people are scared of me because of the strength I have." He said. He then went on to admitting, "To be honest, I hate this power, and I would rather be rid of it. At least then I might have some peace."

"Well I'm not scared of you." I proclaimed. "Now, if you were a giant spider, _then_ I'd be scared."

When he gave me a look at the 'giant spider' thing, I continued, "When I go to different worlds, I meet people like you; people that everyone's afraid of. They have something in them that they wish they didn't have, but I like them the way they are. I feel the same way about you - and Celty, of course. What other people call 'scary' and 'weird,' I call 'cool' and 'interesting.'"

"Now you answer." I said.

"I'm concerned because my conscience won't let me think otherwise."

"And?" I prodded.

"And I guess you're kind of cute… in a little sister kind of way.." He grumbled.

"And what else?"

"And I'd rather you hang around me than that bastard Izaya. There. Is that enough for you?"

I nodded. "Yup. That wasn't so bad, now was it?"

"I died a little inside, yes."

"That wasn't nice." I said, sulking a little.

"I can't be a nice guy all the time."

"I guess you're right. Want to get some sushi, Shizu-chan?" I noticed my mistake when Shizuo flinched after I called him 'Shizu-chan.' I corrected myself immediately. "Oops. Sorry. I forgot. You don't like that nickname 'cuz that's what Izaya calls you."

"You can call me anything else but _that_." He said.

"How about Shizu-nii?" I asked.

A person refers to their older brother as 'Onii-chan,' and adding the '-nii' part at the end of their name was pretty much the same thing. Since I liked Shizuo, and he said I was cute in a 'little sister kind of way,' I added the '-nii' at the end of his name, basically calling him 'Big Brother Shizuo.'

Shizuo paused before saying, "… That's fine."

…

- Meanwhile, Somewhere in Tokyo -

- Normal POV -

…

Two hooded figures stood on top of one of the many buildings in Tokyo, looking down as the creatures they controlled slithered through the city like snakes. They wore black coats with chains hanging from the collar and ornaments dangling at the ends of the drawstrings for their hoods. They were both male. One was tall and slim, with the sleeves of his coat fitted to his arms. The other was shorter, with larger sleeves. Both of their hoods were up, concealing their faces under a shadow.

"This is taking too long…" The tall one grumbled. "They should have found something by now."

"Be patient. They're doing the best they can." Said the short one.

"It's still not good enough."

A portal appeared at their feet, and one of the silver creatures appeared before them.

"What do you have to report?"

"_My liege… We have been searching all over the city, in every district. But there hasn't been any sign of her.. However, there is still one place we haven't checked."_

He raised an eyebrow. "And that would be?"

"_Her scent has been tracked to the entertainment district… the locals call it 'Ikebukuro.'"_

"Very well then. Go to Ikebukuro. Find Number XIV and bring her to us."

The creature bowed and disappeared into another portal, leaving the two men alone.

"She's in Ikebukuro?" The shorter boy asked. "I sent a group there for reconnaissance, and according to their report they have gangs, there's this psycho everyone calls the 'Slasher,' the area's known for kidnappings, and the myth about the 'Headless Rider,' not to mention there's a guy there with monstrous strength that can throw vending machines like baseballs. Ikebukuro sure sounds like a crazy place."

"The fact that it's a dangerous area makes it the perfect place to look."

The boy sighed. "If you say so.."

…

…


	3. Strange Things Are Happening

**Banshee: Hello everyone. Here's chapter 3.**

**Diclaimer: I only own my OC and the plot.**

* * *

><p>Chapter Three: Strange Things Are Happening…<p>

* * *

><p>As Shizuo and I walked over to the sushi restaurant, I asked him if he had any siblings. He told me he had a little brother named Kasuka, who is a famous actor and everyone knows him by his alias, "Yuhei Hanejima." When Kasuka shows up in Ikebukuro, Shizuo hangs around and acts quickly if he feels his brother is threatened. I teased him about that, saying how he was such a caring big brother. He responded by smacking me in the head.<p>

He also explained that his bartender outfit was a gift from Kasuka, who was worried about him not being able to keep a job because of his short temper. Because of Izaya, he had lost a job his brother had gotten for him, and he felt like he broke his promise to him, and they didn't talk much after that.

"I don't think he would be mad at you, Shizu-nii." I said after he was finished. "It wasn't your fault that you lost your job. Izaya was the one that caused you to get fired by framing you, right?"

"I know that." He said. "He might not be mad, but just… disappointed."

"You shouldn't worry so much, Shizu-nii. He's your brother, and he'll always love you. Just like you'll always love him, right?"

"Shut up.." He said, smiling slightly as he turned his head away.

In turn, he asked me if I had a sibling. I told him I _had_ one; an older sister that died in a car accident when I was ten. I felt abandoned because she made a promise to me, and she couldn't keep it because she died. The pain I felt turned into anger, and my temper at that time could rival Shizuo's. I started fights for no reason, and made everybody around me miserable. Eventually, I came back to my senses and was able to move on… for the most part, anyway; I still have a little bit of a temper.

"I'm completely over it now." I said.

"Bullshit." Said Shizuo. "You're not completely over it. Stop lying."

"Okay, not completely." I admitted. "But at least I'm not the way I was; starting fights for no reason, and hurting all the people I care about. I never want to go back to that."

"Good, you shouldn't. It may not seem like it, but I hate violence."

"_You_ hate violence?" I asked disbelievingly. "The guy with the short temper and monstrous strength hates violence?"

"Yeah, you heard me. I hate violence."

"If you hate violence so much, then why are you so… violent?"

"It's mostly because of Izaya. If he were to drop dead right now, almost all of my problems would go away."

"Then why don't you kill him and get it over with?" I asked.

"I've tried, but I can't catch the little bastard…" Shizuo growled.

I stopped when I heard my phone ring.

"Oh. My phone's ringing." I picked up my phone and opened it. "Hello?"

My blood ran cold when I heard Izaya's voice greet, "Hello Nikki-chan~."

Speak of the devil…

"_Shit!"_ I thought. _"It's _him_."_

"Um…" I used my hand to cover the phone, and turned to Shizuo and asked, "Shizu-nii, could you excuse me for a minute?"

He shrugged. "Fine. But don't take too long."

I nodded and went around the corner, and looked back around the corner in time to see the blonde light up another cigarette. Going from the curb, I spotted an alley and slipped into it, hoping that this was far enough so that Shizuo couldn't hear the conversation. When I was sure it was safe, I growled into the phone, "_Izaya_…"

"Yes~?" Izaya chirped.

"How the _hell_ did you get my phone number?" I demanded.

"I got it this morning. I looked through your phone while you were sleeping."

I twitched. So _that_ was what he was doing in my room!

"I have to admit, while I was looking for your number, I was a little naughty. I looked through your photos. I must say, you look very cute in a bikini."

"You bastard!" I yelled. "How dare you look through my phone!"

"Why are you so mad?" Izaya asked in mock innocence. "I just want to be able to talk to you~."

"You're just doing this so you can piss off Shizuo." I deadpanned.

"We've only known each other for two days, and you already know me so well~.."

"Unfortunately, I do know you; I know enough, that is. Luckily, you don't know a thing about me." I said, nodding my head triumphantly.

"Oh yeah?" Izaya challenged me. "While you were at one of your sleepovers with your friends, one of them put your hand in a bowl of water, and you ended up wetting yourself."

I went pale. "H-How do you know about that?"

"The pictures. Also, I looked through your texts."

"I knew I should have deleted those…" I muttered, referring to the texts. As for the pictures, my conniving friends must have taken them while I was sleeping.

"But you didn't~."

"I hate you."

"Love you too, Nikki-chan."

I narrowed my eyes at the phone. "I'm hanging up now."

I heard Izaya sigh. "Alright, then. I won't make you waste any more of your precious minutes on little old me. However, before you hang up, I have one more thing to say…"

"What is it?" I asked impatiently, waiting for him to say what he had to say so I could hang up on his ass.

"Look behind you~."

"What-?" I turned around and my eyes widened in shock when I saw, none other than, Izaya Orihara standing behind me. I jumped back and shrieked, "Kyaaahh!"

"Hello, Nikki-chan~." He greeted, flipping his cell shut.

"I-Izaya?" I stuttered. "How long-?"

"Oh, the whole time, of course."

An anger vein pulsed on my forehead, and I growled, "Why you sneaky, no-good, conniving son-of-a-"

"Ah, ah, ah~…Language~…" Izaya scolded, wagging a reprimanding finger at me.

Suddenly Izaya smiled knowingly, and walked around so he was behind me, putting his hands on my shoulders. And not a moment too soon. I sat there wide-eyed as a trash can came flying by, mere inches away from hitting me. I looked towards the street and there was Shizuo.

"IZAYA!"

"Oh no…" I sighed.

"Shame on you, Shizu-chan…" Izaya scolded. "You almost hit Nikki-chan."

"Get your damn hands off her, you bastard!" Shizuo yelled.

"I'd hate to say it, but it's time for me to go, Nikki-chan." Izaya said, letting go of me and skipping away. He continued while blowing a kiss, "Parting is such sweet sorrow~…"

If pissing off Shizuo was his goal for the day, he certainly achieved it; the blonde was absolutely livid and _definitely _in a killing mood.

I think it's safe to say that we weren't going to get any sushi today…

"IIIIIIZZZAAAYYYYAAAAAA!" He shouted, chasing after the raven-haired man.

"Shizu-nii, stop!" I called after him. "You're gonna re-open your wound!"

Of course, Shizuo was too wrapped up in his desire to kill the flea to hear me.

He reached for the nearest weapon, which happened to be a sign for a crosswalk, grasping the pole in an iron grip that left impressions of his hands in the metal. Ripping the pole out of the ground, Shizuo chased Izaya down the road, he tip of the sign dragging along the ground. As he moved to swing the pole, I looked at his arm and saw a red dot form on the bandage. The little dot grew in size, and soon the bandage was soaked in blood.

I sighed, and walked to the nearest store to buy another first-aid kit.

When I walked back out, Shizuo was cursing and screaming at the top of his lungs; which meant that Izaya got away. In order to get his attention, and hopefully snap him out of his fit of rage, I used the first-aid kit to smack him upside the head.

"Ah!" He hissed. "What the hell? Who did that?"

"I did." I said, holding up the kit.

"What'd you hit me for?" Shizuo exclaimed.

"I knew you were too angry to listen to reason, so I smacked you."

He blinked. "I was pissed off, so you smacked me to try to calm me down? That makes no sense."

"Wasn't supposed to. Give me your arm."

He gave me his arm, probably feeling bad about trashing the previous patch job I did on it. I took a hold of his wrist and unwrapped the old bandage, revealing the same nasty cut as before.

"Didn't I tell you to take it easy?"

"I can't help it." He said. "My body goes into autopilot when I'm angry. Anything I do at that point is an unconscious decision. Besides, I hate Izaya so much, it pisses me off just to look at him."

"Why do you two hate each other, anyway?" I asked.

"Me, I just don't like him. I don't know what his reasons are; and frankly, I don't give a shit."

I had the wound patched up in no time, and just as I finished, I heard the sound of a horse neighing. I knew it was Celty because while I was at Shinra's I asked her about herself, and she explained everything to me; including the fact that the motorcycle she rides around on is actually her horse.

"Oh! Celty!" I said as she pulled up beside us.

[Are you two alright?] She asked. After seeing Shizuo's arm, she added, [What happened?]

"Those idiots that tried to jump me came back. Shizuo came along and helped me, and ended up getting cut." I explained. I added, grumbling, "And I just patched it up for the _second time_…"

[So it wasn't the Slasher?]

"Who's 'the Slasher?'" I asked.

[The Slasher is someone who goes around cutting people with a knife. But the victims don't die from the injuries.] Celty explained.

"Why don't the victims die?"

[Don't know. It might just be someone who gets a kick out of slicing people.]

"Can we stop talking about this? It's pissing me off." Shizuo growled.

"What doesn't piss you off, Shizu-nii?"

He paused. "… Sweets."

"You like sweets?" I said. "Huh.. I never would have guessed…"

"And what the hell does that mean?"

"Nothing, Shizu-nii. Jeez.. You really _do_ have a short fuse."

"Tch.."

[It's getting dark. You want to come back to Shinra's with me, or will you be fine on your own?] Celty asked.

"I'll be fine." I assured.

[Okay.] Then she added, [Be careful.]

With that, Celty left.

"You sure you'll be fine?" Shizuo asked.

I nodded. "Uh-huh. I'm not scared of these stupid gangs, and this so-called 'Slasher' doesn't scare me either."

"Alright then. Since you're so sure of yourself, I'll see you later."

"Bye Shizu-nii~!" I chirped, waving as the blonde left.

…

- On My Way to Shinra's -

…

One thing I learned from going to other worlds is that no matter where you are, it's always creepier at night.

I was beginning to regret not having Shizuo come with me. At least I wouldn't be alone in a creepy place, and his face alone - hell, even the mention of his name is enough to send grown men crying to their mothers - was more than enough to scare any potential attackers away (not that I can't handle myself, or anything..).

I froze when I suddenly felt cold air on my back; the eerie kind of cold that sent a chill down your spine.

"What the hell was that?" I said to myself, shivering.

"Who are you?" A shrill, girly voice inquired.

Looking behind me, I saw a dark figure emerge from around the corner. It looked like a shadow, with long black hair that reminded me of Samara from _The Ring_. Under that hair was a pair of glowing red eyes, and I could barely make out a smile. It was a creepy kind of smile, the kind you would expect from a crazy person. I noticed the gleaming edge of a knife in the figure's hand. It looked like a regular kitchen knife.

"I've never seen you before. You must be a foreigner. That's okay, though. I love all humans…"

This must have been the 'Slasher' that Celty told me about earlier.

"And now…" The Slasher said, raising the knife above their head. "I'm going to love you… to pieces!"

I managed to dodge as the Slasher took a swing at me, the edge of the knife grazing my side. As they moved to swing at me again, I was able to block them by using one of my batons - which I had barely enough time to take out.

The more I saw those crazed red eyes and that creepy smile, the more I was convinced that the Slasher was more than a depraved psychopath that gets a kick out of slicing people. There was definitely something demonic about this person.

The Slasher laughed maniacally as they swung their knife at me wildly, and I barely had time to dodge all of the attacks, one of them slicing through my jacket sleeve; right along the seam where the sleeve connected to the jacket.

"_Damn! It's too fast!"_

"It's useless to fight." The Slasher said. "Once I cut you, you'll become one of my children. One cut is all it takes.. It wont hurt _that_ much…"

I didn't know what they meant by that, and I didn't want to find out. I moved away as they swung at me again.

"What's the matter? Why are you running away from me? I just want to show you how much I love you…"

"I don't need your kind of love!" I spat.

"It doesn't matter what you say. Once I cut you, you won't have any choice but to accept my love."

As the Slasher said this, they raised their knife and prepared to swing at me again. At that moment, everything seemed to slow down. The knife came down slowly, the tip of the blade pointed right at my chest. I was frozen, and I realized that I wouldn't be able to block this attack no matter how quickly I responded.

Suddenly, I felt my feet and ankles grow cold, and I looked down to see a black void form under my feet. I didn't know whether or not I caused it, but I was grateful that it arrived as I sunk down into the ground, seeing the confused look on the Slasher's face before they disappeared.

When I came out of the other side, I was in front of the building that I came to recognize as the place where Shinra lived.

"Hey.. I'm in front of Shinra's…" I muttered to myself.

"_That void… it felt so familiar.. Could it have been…?"_

I thought about it for a second, then waved it off and said, "Nah."

Getting up off the ground, I dusted myself off and headed into the building.

When I walked inside the apartment, I got a glowing screen shoved in my face.

[What took you so long?]

"I… uh…" I stuttered. "You see… There was…"

[Your jacket is cut.] Celty pointed out after seeing the gaping hole in the shoulder of my jacket. [Are you hurt?]

"No, I'm fine. This psycho tried to slice me with a kitchen knife, but-"

[What did they look like?] Celty asked.

"I don't know. It was dark, and it looked like a shadow. The only thing I could make out was its eyes which were bright red, like some kind of demon.."

[The Slasher!] She exclaimed. [I knew I should have made you come back with me! Or at least had Shizuo go with you!]

"Nothing happened." I assured. "The Slasher was about to, well, slash me, but this portal appeared and before I knew it I was in front of this building."

"A portal, you say?" Shinra chimed in. "Sounds interesting."

"Of course _you'd_ find it interesting, you nerd."

"_Nerd_?" Shinra exclaimed. "I am not a nerd! I prefer the term 'intellectually gifted.'"

"In other words, a nerd." I deadpanned.

Suddenly, Celty's PDA let out a little tone, and she picked it up. It must have been a text message, I thought. After reading the message, Celty suddenly looked anxious. She ran over to the computer, and signed into some type of chat room, where other users were already there. I walked over to the computer to see what they were talking about. Unfortunately, the writing was in Japanese, so I couldn't read it. So I dragged Shinra away from the corner he was sulking in, and had him translate.

"Apparently, some strange silver creatures have been spotted in Ikebukuro." Shinra said. "And they've been sighted in other areas of Tokyo as well."

"Strange silver creatures?" I asked. Knowing what they were, I muttered to myself, "Oh no…"

Shinra heard me and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Celty, ask them if these creatures have weird symbols on their heads." I said.

Celty nodded and submitted the inquiry into the chat room. A few responses popped up almost immediately, and Shinra read them.

"According to recent sightings, yes, they do." He said. He then asked, "Do you know anything about those creatures, Nikki?"

"Actually…" I paused. "Yes, I do. They're called 'Dusks,' and they're a type of Nobody."

[What's a 'Nobody?'] Celty asked.

"When a person of strong will loses their heart to Darkness, their body and soul is left behind. The body gives it form, and the soul gives it life, creating a Nobody. If their will is strong enough, they are able to maintain human forms. The ones that don't, which is the majority, have distorted, slightly human-like bodies. They are the complete opposite of Heartless; another creature born when someone loses their heart, who are more monstrous depending on how strong the original heart was.

"Nobodies don't truly exist because they are in-between the Realms of Light and Darkness. They are known as 'half a person' because of their lack of a heart, and because they no longer have a heart, they are incapable of feeling any real emotions; they just act based on what they know from their memories from their former lives. They are also able to act on their own, and plan out their moves before attacking; unlike a Heartless, who acts based on instinct.

"The most powerful Nobodies banded together and formed a group called 'Organization XIII.' There are thirteen members, each with a rank based on when they joined, a title, a unique power, and their own lesser Nobodies to control. Their main goal is gathering hearts so their leader can unlock 'Kingdom Hearts,' an extremely powerful force, which they believe will help them restore their missing hearts."

[You know an awful lot about Nobodies and this 'Organization XIII.'] Celty said. [Do you know them?]

"Of course I know them. I live with them." I said. "And… and I'm also a member."

"Does that mean you're a Nobody too?" Shinra asked. "How interesting~! Tell me, what's it like not having a heart?"

"I'm not a Nobody, you idiot." I snapped.

[So you're still human?] Celty asked. [Why are you part of a group made up of Nobodies, who don't have their hearts, if you still have yours?]

"It's a long story, so I'll give you the short version: I was originally a captive after I wandered into their castle accidentally. They eventually released me after they realized I wasn't a threat, but I ended up living there because they wouldn't let me leave the castle." I explained. "After a while, I ended up joining them. They're like a second family to me now."

"You said the Organization has ranks. Which one are you?" Shinra asked.

"Fourteen." I said.

He blinked. "There are _fourteen_ members in Organization _XIII_?"

"Technically, there are only thirteen. I'm only a nominal member, because I'm not a Nobody, so I don't have a throne in the castle like the other members do. As far as my job goes, I basically do the shopping and serve as a guinea pig whenever the Organization's scientist has an experiment to perform."

[At least that explains those creatures that have been spotted around the city. If they're in Ikebukuro, does that mean the Organization sent them here?]

"The Organization wouldn't send their underlings to another world unless they had a reason to." I said.

[And you're the reason they're here, right?]

"Basically. They're here to bring me back to the castle."

[I'm guessing Organization XIII isn't a group that would let its members just up and leave.]

"You guessed right. If a member leaves, they are hunted down. At first, they are given the option to surrender and return to the castle. If they refuse, then they get destroyed to keep them from becoming a threat in the future."

"Sounds like a real cutthroat group." Shinra remarked.

"It's easier when you don't have emotions to get in the way of your mission." I said. "They can work efficiently because their emotions aren't there to hold them back, and they also can't get attached to anyone, making their jobs a lot easier."

[If you're only a nominal member, why would they go through all this trouble to bring you back?] Celty asked.

"They can't just let me go because I know too much about them." I said. "Not only do I know about their plan, but I also know a lot of personal information about them. With everything I know, there's no way they'd let me go unless they killed me."

[About the Dusks… they won't hurt anyone, will they?]

"Not unless they're ordered to." I said. "The Organization prefers to work in the shadows. They don't want to arouse any suspicion while they are out on their missions, so they try to stay out of sight as much as possible."

[It's late.] Celty said after taking note of the time. [We should all get some sleep.]

She signed off of the computer and shut it off, and she and Shinra went to their respective rooms so they could change and go to bed. On the way, Shinra suggested they sleep together, earning him a swift hit to the gut from the female Dullahan.

I smiled a little; their interaction reminded me of me and Axel.

As I went to my room, all I could think about was what would happen when the Organization finally found me.

"_The Organization must have found out I'm gone and are sending Dusks to look for me.." _I thought, a bad feeling forming in my gut._ "I hope this doesn't cause too much trouble…"_

…

- Normal POV -

…

The two figures were on the roof of one of Ikebukuro's buildings, waiting for the Dusks to bring back their comrade. They had been there for hours, and all their underlings had to report was that they hadn't found her yet. The boy noticed is partner was getting irritated by the lack of progress, and tried to calm him down using words.

"Take it easy, man." He urged. "The Dusks are doing the best they can. We can't push them any harder than we already are. Even they have limits, you know."

When his partner didn't respond, he added optimistically, "You know what? I'll bet they'll come back with some good news in the next five minutes, or I'll buy the next round of sea-salt ice cream when we get back home."

Just then, a Dusk appeared.

"You better have some good news." The taller man growled.

"_My liege…"_ The Dusk bowed. _"We haven't found her yet… However, the experiment has traced her scent to a warehouse, where we found a lingering portal."_

"A portal?" The boy inquired. "Was it stable?"

"_No. In fact, it disappeared not long after we found it."_

The boy turned to his taller partner. "She must have been trying to create a portal in there."

"And apparently, she didn't have any luck; as usual." The man said. "Her portals are too unstable. There was no way she would have been able to use it."

The man looked at the Dusk. "What else do you have to report?"

"_The experiment is still tracking her scent. It must be getting stronger because he's getting more anxious."_ The Dusk said. _"However, there's still no telling how long it will take before we find her."_

The man growled. "Forget this. I can't sit here and wait anymore. I'm going down there."

"H-Hey!" The boy objected. "W-Wait a minute! Our orders say-"

"Screw our orders! All this pussyfooting around is taking up too much precious time!"

"But we can't be seen. If we go down there looking like this," The boy tugged on his coat. "everyone will think we're suspicious and we'll have the local authorities breathing down our necks."

"Don't worry, Kiddo. I have the perfect plan. We'll get some normal clothes and blend in with the crowd."

With that, the man removed his hood, revealing a spiky mass of red hair. There was an upside-down teardrop tattoo under each green eye, and he sported a cocky smirk.

"Trust me, Roxas. This'll be easier than spring cleaning at the castle…"

'Roxas' sighed. "If you say so, Axel…"

…

…


End file.
